Exposure to ionizing radiation (e.g., x-rays) is a frequent component of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in modern medicine. Although the precision of instruments used in such procedures continues to improve, individuals undergoing diagnostic or therapeutic procedures utilizing ionizing radiation are commonly exposed to at least some stray radiation that inadvertently contacts other parts of the body.
Because medical diagnostic and therapeutic procedures are often ordered and performed by different physicians and/or different facilities over extended periods of time (e.g., years) and are often directed to different parts of an individual's body, it becomes increasingly difficult for the individual to know or maintain a record of accumulated radiation exposure, particularly with reference to specific parts of the body.